Minecraft Live 2025 Unveils Vibrant Visuals and Flying Happy Ghast

Minecraft Live 2025 has wrapped up, and Mojang has unveiled an exciting array of new updates and content for the iconic game. The first game drop of the year, named "Spring to Life," is set to launch on March 25. This update will enrich the Overworld, making biomes more immersive and alive with new variants of cows, pigs, and chickens. Players can also look forward to new ambient features such as the glittering firefly bush, falling leaves, and the whispers of sand, enhancing the exploration experience.

The second game drop, although yet unnamed, promises intriguing additions including the Dried Ghast block. This block, slightly smaller than a regular block and adorned with cute tentacles and a grumpy face, can be rehydrated to transform into a Ghastling, a baby ghast variant. When nurtured with snowballs, the Ghastling evolves into a Happy Ghast. Players can then craft a Ghast harness to ride the Happy Ghast, allowing up to four players to fly together, offering a unique way to traverse the game world. The Happy Ghast is particularly beneficial for Survival Mode builders, providing a Creative Mode-like experience within Survival Mode.

Mojang also introduced a significant visual upgrade titled 'Vibrant Visuals.' Described as the first step towards a transformative visual experience, this upgrade aims to enhance the visual appeal of Minecraft without altering gameplay mechanics. For a deeper dive into the Vibrant Visuals upgrade, check out IGN's dedicated article and visuals comparison video.

In other exciting news, Mojang shared a new clip from the upcoming "A Minecraft Movie" and announced a movie-themed in-game live event, set to begin on March 25. This event, taking place in Midport Village, invites players to join Steve and his movie companions in a multiplayer experience defending the village from a piglin attack through three engaging mini-games. The event runs until April 7, with participants able to earn the coveted Yearn cape by completing all challenges.

During our visit to Mojang's offices in Sweden, we learned more about the developer's stance on not creating a Minecraft 2, keeping the game non-free-to-play, and their decision against using generative AI for game development.

Minecraft Live 2025 — Everything Announced:

• Mojang Studios announced the name, launch date, and features of the first game drop of the year, as well as upcoming features in the second game drop of the year.
• The first game drop, “Spring to Life,” introduces updates to the Overworld to make biomes feel more immersive and alive.
• Spring to Life includes warm and cold variants of classic mobs, new ambient features like the glittering firefly bush, falling leaves, and whispers of sand.
• The second game drop introduces the Dried Ghast block, the Ghastling and Happy Ghast mob variants, and the Ghast harness.
• The Dried Ghast is smaller than a regular block with cute tentacles and a grumpy face. When hydrated, it transforms into a Ghastling.
• The Ghastling can evolve into a Happy Ghast with snowballs, and players can ride it using a harness, accommodating up to four players.
• A new Locator Bar feature helps players find friends while flying on a Happy Ghast.
• Mojang highlighted the utility of the Happy Ghast for Survival Mode builders, likening it to a Creative Mode experience within Survival.
• A visual upgrade titled Vibrant Visuals was announced, enhancing the game's visuals without affecting gameplay.
• An exclusive clip from "A Minecraft Movie" was revealed, along with an in-game movie-themed live event.
• The live event, set in Midport Village, involves defending against a piglin attack in three mini-games, running from March 25 to April 7, with the Yearn cape as a reward for completing all challenges.